Jan Brewer blasts Obama as 'failure' in CA speech

IRVINE, Calif. - Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer took her battle with President Obama on the road Monday.

Brewer was the keynote speaker at $150-per-ticket fundraiser for the Republican Party of Orange County in Irvine, California. She spent her entire 15 minute speech attacking the President.

"She called him a failure twice," said Martin Wisckol, a political reporter with The Orange County Register. "She criticized the growth of the national debt. She put that at his feet, as well cuts to defense spending, high unemployment, political divisiveness and, of course, illegal immigration."

Wisckol recounted Brewer as saying "this is what failure looks like," when talking about Obama. She then told the crowd, "I'm here to tell you what success looks like. It looks like Arizona."

Wisckol said that Brewer was surrounded by a famous picture as she spoke.

"They had a bigger-than-life photograph on either side of the stage of the governor with the president on the tarmac at the Phoenix airport back in January," he said. "She is waving her finger in the president's face."

Brewer would not tell the audience of 700 people what she was saying to Obama when the picture was taken. Wisckol said that she instead encouraged them that if they ever get the chance to talk to Obama, they should tell him "we don't need you...you're a failure."

The picture was captioned with the words "You Go Girl."

Brewer's spokesman, Mathew Benson, said that Orange County Republican Party was responsible for placing the picture on the stage and that the governor had nothing to do with it.

At least one person at the event asked for a picture with the governor, in which she posed wagging her finger at him in the same way.

Wisckol said it's ironic that 700 supporters turned out to see Brewer in California, where many people called for a boycott of Arizona after she signed SB 1070, Arizona's controversial immigration law.

"Governor Brewer has become an iconic figure, certainly not to the majority of the very Democratic state of California, but certainly to a very active anti-illegal immigration faction," said Wisckol.

About the Author

Education: I was born in San
Antonio, Texas, but we moved to Phoenix when
I was one-year-old in 1957. I grew up here
and graduated from Alhambra High School and
attended Phoenix College.

Family: I am married to my wife
Rene', who is a librarian in the Washington
school district. During free time, I may be
found playing basketball in the driveway with
my son, Devin. He's also keeping me busy
with school, Little League, and playing in
chess tournaments around the Valley.

Favorite news memory: We have to go
back to October 15, 1979. I was a country
music air personality at KROP Radio in
Brawley, California, when we had a 6.7
earthquake. Thankfully, there were no deaths
and only minor injuries, but the entire
community was pretty freaked out and
listening to the station on their transistor
radios. I would not want to go through an
earthquake again, but it sure was a great
night to work in radio and see how it can
make a difference in people's lives.

First job: Working as a stringer
for 'The Arizona Republic' at high school
football games. My first real job was
flipping burgers at the old Sandy's
Hamburgers at 51st Avenue and Indian School
Road. My first radio job was as announcer at
KALJ radio in Yuma in 1977.

First concert: Doug Oldham gospel
concert in the 1970s at the old East High
School in Phoenix.

Favorite sports team: Phoenix
Roadrunners minor league hockey. My dad took
me to a game when I was in grade school, and
I was hooked. I wanted to be a radio hockey
play-by-play man. I used to take my cassette
recorder and sit up in the rafters of the
Coliseum and do play-by-play. It was great
later in life to also take my son to
Roadrunners games. Too bad the team just
folded, I'll miss them. (Going to the
Coyotes is fun, but they're not "my" team.)

Outside interests: My family and I
are active in our church - Northern Hills
Community Church in Phoenix. We enjoy going
to movies, sporting events, and like to
vacation at the Beach Cottages in the Pacific
Beach area of San Diego. And I love to play
catch, basketball, football with my son.